Rachael brings back her (made-up!) translations of the Bible – the Trigger Fest Version (TFV) and the Transformational Wisdom Version (TWV) – to name toxic interpretations of Psalm 37 and then, as a community, to seek within it ancient wisdom to help us to live wisely and lovingly in these troubling days.
Jess continues our teaching theme with some reflections on the wilderness and how different turning points in life invite us to leave the path we know in pursuit of something deeper/truer, even when the way is unclear and the journey leads us away from the familiar and into the unknown.
This Sunday, Mel Burns (Canadian Friends Service Committee Peace Program Coordinator & SSU graduate student), joined us during our Second Breakfast Potluck to share about the roots of Quakerism, the journey that led Mel to check out a local Quaker Group during the pandemic, and the many gifts that have been gathered through Quaker practices since then.
Jess invites us to consider how the invitation to exchange the question “Is this right or is this wrong?” for “Is this the path of Love” might transform the way we see and relate to ourselves and others, and serve as a grounding guide through challenging times. She points out how Jesus embodied this principle in revolutionary ways. Then we turned our attention toward Banksy’s piece “Rage, The Flower Thrower” which led to a beautifully complex conversation about choosing the path of love in the face of violence and oppression.